The Vessel
by Kroxn
Summary: A year has passed since Romeo's redemption, Jesse left Beacon-town to go adventuring with her best friend Petra and their trusty llama. But when a strange curse begins to consume her, Jesse and Petra are roped into an journey of many mysteries. Little do they know that they are playing into a greater scheme of a mastermind; a monster long forgotten by time now fights for revenge.
1. Chapter 1

A few things before you begin reading:

This fic is within an AU, this means many things but the main thing of importance right now is that you should imagine the characters visually as actual people/animals. The blocks, crafting and items work the same. The characters just look more…"realistic," if that makes sense.

This story WILL have hints of Jetra, and possibly a poly ship later on. But this is not the focus, so don't worry if you don't personally ship it!

This is also set about a year after the second season, the characters have changed a bit. I will try to keep them close to canon but I am not perfect XP

Comments are amazing if you wouldn't mind tossing some my way. This gives me motivation and helps me finish fics I start!

* * *

"Skeleton!" A red haired woman shouted to her companion, whacking a sickly green zombie onto the ground with the butt of her sword.

"OW, y-yeah I see it!" The other woman grunted as an arrow lodged into her shoulder, she was about to pull it out when a white blur tackled her to the ground. Two more arrows zipped past her head before a curious whine filled her ears; she laughed lightly as the pack animal nudged its head under her arm. "Naw, I had that one!"

The low growl from the llama brought the woman back to reality, she dug her boots into the grass before sheathing her sword. "Thanks, Lluna. But I really got this." She said as she pulled out her bow and an arrow from her backpack. As her fingers skillfully tugged on the bowstring, her wrist brushed the strand of red hair out of her face.

The second the arrow left her grasp, the brown-haired woman dodged the skelton's return fire. The rattle of bones signaled the disappearance of the mob, and this was enough to pull a smirk from the human's mouth.

"ARGHH!" The loud voice brought her attention from the dropped loot back to her fiery companion, just in time to watch the redhead stab the final zombie dead in the chest. And with a cloud of dust, the three were once again alone.

"I think you got it, Petra." The second woman chuckled as she set her bow down beside her feet, her right hand feeling around the base of the arrow lodged in her shoulder.

"And give you a chance to pocket my kill?" The red-head, Petra by the sound of it, stated quickly as she sheathed her beloved sword back into her sheathe. "That's four to two by the wa-" She stopped upon turning around to face her traveling partner, her smile quickly faded as she approached her companion.

"Alright, Lluna. Move aside, let me see it." Petra stated, nudging the llama away from Jesse's shoulder before pulling out a rolled bandage. "Who knew that the great Jesse would be bested by a glorified stick."

"Hey, you should see the other guy!" Jesse remarked to distract herself from the burn as the arrow was yanked from her skin. She sighed as Petra announced that she'd have to tear the sleeve off, otherwise the bandage would just hold the dirty garment against the wound.

"A little late for that, but I'll just take your word." Petra replied, carefully tearing the sleeve from the shirt before pouring a bottle of water lightly over Jesse's shoulder.

A low groan sounded before Lluna laid down beside Jesse, nudging her white snout under her owner's arm before receiving a gentle scratch on the top of her head. The llama uttered a content growl as her soft blue eyes closed to just focus on the massage; and while Jesse's hands were callused her skilled fingers made up for it.

"Well in that case, you would have been so impressed." Jesse remarked, which earned her a playful glare from her friend before Petra jimmied the sleeve off.

"Oh, I am very impressed." The red-head muttered quietly while adjusting Jesse's arm outwards so she could begin dressing the wound. She paused when Jesse involuntarily flinched, "Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah, just a little startled." The woman assured her partner, laughing lightly to herself as Lluna butted into her cheek with a cold nose. "I know, I know Lluna! I'm still petting ya." She ran her free hand over the animal's spine while she leaned against Lluna's neck.

A few moments passed before Petra spoke back up, "Alright, I'm gonna tie it." Jesse nodded, her expression was determined but judging by the llama's huff it was clear that she was squeezing Lluna's scarf anxiously.

Though Jesse relaxed when her friend went easy on the knot, she once again stroked Lluna's neck before speaking back up. "Thanks, Petra."

"Don't mention it." Petra responded, pushing herself back to her feet before holding out a hand for Jesse. "C'mon, we should keep moving." She encouraged her companion, but before Jesse could accept the help a strange new voice interrupted them.

"A-AHH! S-STAY BACK!" Lluna's ears perked up in attention as the voice reached them, her ears swiveled back as Jesse brought herself to her feet as well. The ex-hero reached for her sword just as the familiar golden glow of Miss Butters highlighted Petra's primed figure.

Without hesitation the trio took off towards the source of the racket, the two women eventually following the llama as the crackle of twigs inhibited their hearing.

Luckily they didn't have to go too far before the glow of a frantically waving torch caught their attention. More panicked cries followed just as the broke through the brush, "G-GO AWAY!" It turned out to be a rather frail looking young woman facing two growling zombies.

"Hey meathead!" Jesse shouted, catching both of the monsters' attention as Petra snuck behind them. With a few taunting waves of her weapon, Jesse advanced as the stunned stranger inched away from the zombies.

However the moment the stranger tried to run, both monsters turned back towards her and started to make chase. But that was when one was knocked over the head with the golden sword; Petra's shouts kept the other zombie busy long enough for Jesse to run up and stab her sword through its back.

Jesse yanked her sword out of the zombie, yelping in surprise as the darn thing snapped in half before poofing out of existence along with the zombies. "Stupid iron sword." She grumbled, though she didn't pout for long when she heard Lluna grunt off to her side.

She looked over just in time to see the llama nosing through a discarded bag. Jesse walked over to Lluna, resting her hand on the animal's neck with a raised eyebrow. "What'cha got, Lluna?"

"O-Oh, d-don't touch that!" A vaguely familiar voice cried from the bushes just as Petra joined the other two. Jesse noticed that her companion was still clutching Miss Butters in her hand, and she quickly picked the bag off the ground much to Lluna's dismay.

"Hey, it's okay. We're not gonna hurt you." Jesse assured the woman in her calmest voice, and to prove it she rested her hand on Petra's sword with a placating nod. Thankfully Petra lowered her weapon on cue, but Lluna was less cooperative.

The llama grabbed the sack with a guttural growl, startling Jesse who quickly started an unwilling game of tug a war with the animal. "L-Lluna! Let go!"

It was at this point that the strange woman ran out of the bushes and grabbed the other end of the strap desperately. "P-PLEASE, W-W-WE NEED THAT!"

Jesse tried to get Lluna to let it go, her free hand desperately scratching at the llama's chin as she searched for that one spo-

She froze as Lluna finally released her hold on the bag, the built up tension in the stretchy fabric flinging its contents into Petra as she went to assist Jesse. It consisted of apples and some steak, the latter which stuck to Petra's arms as she deadpanned.

"You done..?" She mumbled to Lluna, who shook out her fur with a whine. With that, Petra peeled the steak from her arm and stuffed it back in the bag that Jesse held. "So what are you doing out here, without a weapon?"

The stranger looked up from gathering her supplies, though Jesse was still hard at work returning the items to the sack while Lluna sniffed at it curiously. "O-Oh, I can tell you back at my house! U-Um, I can make you both dinner?"

"Oh, you don't have to do tha-" Jesse started to say but when Petra went to put an apple back in the bag her eye caught something.

"Lead the way." She stated, earning a surprised look from her friend. Though Lluna let out a light bray in agreement, and then the stranger anxiously waved for them to follow her deeper into the woods.

Jesse followed right behind the stranger, eyeing Petra as the other rested her hand on her sword. There was something off here, why would Petra be so eager to follow someone they didn't know to a place they'd never been?

While Jesse trusted Petra, she had to ask. "Petra, are you alright?" She whispered as loudly as she dared, she wasn't usually the sceptical one but that was precisely why this concerned her.

"Yeah," Petra replied nonchalantly as Lluna sniffed at Jesse's bandaged shoulder once more. Before her friend could question her again, Petra elaborated. "I saw a swiftness potion in her bag."

"Okay?" Jesse muttered, stroking behind Lluna's ear to stop the llama from prodding her shoulder.

"So, if she has a swiftness potion…" Petra started, her words dragging on while Jesse gave her an expectant look. When Jesse didn't finish her sentence, Petra took the liberty to do it herself. "She might have a potion of healing."

It took Jesse a moment to realize what this meant, then she practically flushed. "Petra, I'm fine. It's just a scratch..!" She whispered the last part a little too loud for her liking, and this caught the stranger's attention.

"What scratch?" The woman asked, tilting her pointed hat backwards to clear her vision. Jesse was quick to assure the stranger that it was nothing, but Petra decided it was in their favor to just say it.

"My friend got hit by an arrow and-" Petra stopped in her tracks when she heard coughing from behind her. Upon wheeling around she saw Lluna standing in front of Jesse as she involuntarily emptied her stomach. "JESSE!"

Petra ran to her side, but Jesse just waved her off. "I-I'm alright, Petra…" Wisps of green smoke wafted from under the bandage and immediately it clicked. "I-I think that arrow was poisoned."

"Alright, that's it." Petra growled, picking her friend up in her arms much to Jesse's dismay. But she could hardly argue, as now that the tipped arrow had taken full effect, she could hardly stand. "Lluna, would you-?"

The llama nodded with a grunt, and then Petra set Jesse on Lluna's back before turning towards the stunned stranger. "Do you have a potion of healing?"

The stranger jumped slightly as if coming out of a daze, "O-Oh, yes! P-Please follow me!" She then hurried off with the trio right on her tail.

Jesse held on tight to Lluna's back while trying to steady her stomach, she'd never felt this sick before. And despite her best efforts, she eventually lost consciousness after a minute had passed.

* * *

"J-Jesse…?" The familiar voice roused the woman from her slumber, she held her head with a soft groan. And she was quickly met with a sigh of relief that was quickly covered up by a smirk. "Naptime over?"

"Haha.." Jesse mumbled playfully as she shoved Petra's shoulder with her good hand. Right afterwards she was met with a not so light tug on the back of her hair, and it was instantly clear who the culprit was. "Okay, Lluna! I'm not moving."

The llama snorted as she nosed the cool blades of grass before her, bright blue eyes heavy with exhaustion as she gnawed on yesterday's dinner. Her beautiful pale fur was speckled with mud, stemming from her feet up to stain her scarf. Yet the blanket covering Jesse's form, while not pristine, was soft.

"Uh, where are we?" The ex-order leader questioned as her eyes tried to adjust to the light; only when a shadow eclipsed the source did she realize that the light was artificial.

It was from a redstone lamp.

"That woman led us to her cabin, made a splash potion to heal you. But I figured we'd just stay here for the night." Petra stated, pulling out an apple before offering it to Jesse who gratefully accepted it.

"Thanks for making the reservations." Jesse remarked before taking a bite of her apple, nearly choking on it when Petra shot her a light glare. She tried not to wolf the food down, but it wasn't long before the apple disappeared from her hand.

Though she didn't seem to notice, and the next thing she knew she had bitten into her own hand. Her emerald green eyes widened before she let out a strained whine. Lluna looked up from staring at the ground to grunt towards her human; Petra took a moment to assess the situation before she choked on a laugh. "Y-You didn't."

Jesse didn't answer, she pulled her hand away from her face and a look of pure horror crossed her expression. This once again made Petra drop her grin, her gaze following her companion's before she gapped in shock.

Jesse's hand was frozen in place, what looked like cobblestone etched her skin before finally stopping a between her wrist and elbow. Though despite the solidity of the rock, there was a visible tremble to Jesse's body as tears welled in her eyes.

She could feel every part of it and it took every ounce of her strength not to cry out, she'd felt pain before and gotten through worse. Why was this breaking her? How did this even happen? What was going on?


	2. Chapter 2

"OPEN THE DOOR!" The magnitude of the voice nearly took the door to the cabin of its hinges by itself; but luckily the stranger inside was wise enough to just open it instead of waiting for the other to knock it down. Though once she did, she wished she hadn't.

On the other side of the door, was none other than Petra. The anger in her eyes surpassing the intensity of her hair by far as she immediately started asking questions. "What was in that potion?! Did you really think we wouldn't notice!? ANSWER ME!"

"P-Petra, she didn't do anything." Despite her best efforts, Jesse's voice still cracked as she fidgeted with her makeshift sling. The pattern of the fabric that was holding her right arm up to her chest was oddly familiar. Then it clicked, wasn't that the bandana Petra wore-

"Jesse, this didn't happen until after I gave you that stupid potion!" Petra replied, clearly upset but there was a hesitance after she'd spoken. "Just...go sit down." She said much quieter this time, but Jesse shook her head.

"L-Let me talk to her." Jesse said, walking up past Petra to face the stranger head on. But her approach was much gentler, whether that was intentional or a product of the shock was unclear. "D-Do you know anything about this..?" She pulled her right arm out of the makeshift sling with a visible wince, but it was almost a relief when she saw the stranger's horrified expression.

"W-What-" The woman started, only to pause in what seemed like deep thought. Then she held up her index finger to Jesse before going deeper into her cabin; and she came back with a small gem cupped in her palm. "Landon."

"Are you talking to a crysta-?" Petra started to demand in frustration only to be cut off by a deep voice coming from the silly trinket.

 _"What do you want Ezra-?"_ There was a long pause while Jesse and Petra stood dumbfounded at the gem, then the voice returned along with a purple glow that lit the immediate area. _"Ah, her too..?"_

"W-What are you…?" Jesse started, trying and failing to keep her voice steady.

 _"Your arm, you have been inflicted with the curse. Same as I, long ago."_ The voice explained matter of factly, catching the attention of both adventurers. Jesse urged him to continue but he simply interrupted her anyway. _"I cannot help you."_

"What, why not?" Petra nearly growled, this seemed to displease the person within the shiny stone.

 _"Because any knowledge I once had has gone with the rest of my pieces."_ He stated, the glow dimming giving Jesse the signal to prod him further.

"W-What are you talking about?" She asked and she shared a look with the strange woman, Ezra, before finally getting a straight answer.

 _"I was turned to stone, like you now. But once my whole body was encased, I became a lowly block. And then-"_

"You're full of it." All eyes went back towards Petra she glared at the gem.

 _"My my, I do not appreciate the attitude. Perhaps I shan't help you."_ The voice took on a very scholarly tone, with a slightest hint of smugness hidden beneath the surface.

This, of course did not sit well with Petra. "You don't even know anything, you couldn't help even if you tried!" She snapped, earning a frightened look from Ezra as she turned her anger towards the blonde. "You think this is a joke?"

"W-What?" Ezra asked anxiously, stepping back when Petra got in her face. They were so close that Ezra could feel Petra's hot breath on her cheek.

"You think some stupid rock will fool us? How 'bout you try telling the truth this time?" Petra suggested, reaching for her sword when she heard leaves crinkling behind her. Upon turning around she saw Jesse running off into the woods, and it was at this point she abandoned Ezra and went after her friend.

 _"Follow them."_ Ezra stared down at the jewel with wide brown eyes, but then she nodded anxiously before bolting after the two.

* * *

"L-LLUNA!" The voice of the ex-order member practically woke the whole forest as she ran to her llama's aid. While the animal was holding her own, she was being surrounded faster than her feet could kick the zombies away.

Lluna stamped her forelegs down before the built up momentum traveled down her spine and to her hind-feet, which knocked the rotted teeth out of the zombie trying to sneak up on her. However, this distracted the llama long enough that she couldn't see the arrow that had been launched towards her.

But that arrow would never meet its mark. Instead ricocheting off the hard stone that now made up Jesse's right arm, which surprised even Jesse herself. But she counted her blessings before reaching for her bow, only to fumble with her backpack for a second before being tackled by Lluna.

A sense of deja vu followed as Jesse heard more arrows flying over her head. But that was quickly over as a familiar battle cry filled the night air, one look up and Jesse saw Petra down the two skeletons skillfully.

A grunt caught her attention back to Lluna, who kicked another zombie away while a second one inched towards Jesse's still grounded body. But this time Jesse had an idea, she pushed herself to her knees before mumbling towards her cobblestoned hand. "Please don't break…"

The zombie lunged towards Jesse, and the distinctive crack of the decayed skull echoed through the clearing as she launched her right hand right into the zombie's jaw. The mob flew into the air, but disappeared into rotten flesh before it could land.

"Whoa! Nice hustle!" Petra called over as Lluna smashed the final zombie's head in, the llama then snorted and walked back to the spot of dirt beside Jesse. But instead of requesting attention, Lluna dug at the dirt with her foot.

"Huh?" Jesse muttered, then she realized what the llama was doing. She knelt beside Lluna, punching at the block while Petra walked over to her.

"What're you-?" Petra started, but once the block was destroyed a small brown shard was revealed. Lluna picked it up from the hole and presented it for her humans to marvel at her find. "Treasure-sniffing llama, right."

Jesse grabbed the shard from her llama before it suddenly flew from her hand and past her cheek. She yelped in surprise but managed to look back just as she saw the shard flying towards Ezra. It connected with the gem still clutched in her hand and shimmered brightly, temporarily blinding the woman as she hid her face behind her free hand.

Then, the clearing was in a state of silence. The two adventurers staring at Ezra with wide eyes, that is until the gem illuminated once more to drone out smugly: _"Believe me now?"_


End file.
